Petals on the Breeze
by SilverMistedMoon
Summary: As she nears the point of reaching bankai, Rangiku still struggles with her sadness over Gin. When her captain makes a deal with Byakuya for the sixth division captain to help her achieve bankai, her life takes turns she never expected...and so does his!


**Petals on the Breeze**

**(By request for jmi. Enjoy the story! :) And other readers please feel free to make requests as well. Happy reading!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Seeking Strength**

"Matsumoto!" shouted Toshiro, scowling as his vice captain jumped awake where she slept on the sofa in his office, "What are you doing lazing around again? Get up and write those reports now! Every other squad has their reports for the day in already. You are making me a laughingstock!"

"Eh? Oh," Rangiku yawned, sitting up and blinking at him, "Why are you so noisy, Captain? I was working on the reports, but it got late and I got tired. Then, Momo and Nanao showed up with tea and cookies and I added a little sake for our nerves, and..."

"What is wrong with you?" Hitsugaya exclaimed, "You shouldn't be fraternizing and drinking on the job anyway. You are useless! I don't know why they even made you a vice captain. I might as well do everything myself!"

"Oi, Captain," she said, raising her hands defensively, "I'm sorry. I'll have those reports done in an hour. Seriously, you are so uptight lately!"

"I'm uptight?" he repeated, frowning, "After what we've all been through, can't you see that we have to do better so that we don't end up being surprised by someone like Aizen again?"

His eyes widened and his expression softened somewhat as he saw the sadness that came into her eyes at the mention of the traitor.

_Because inevitably, when she thinks of him, she thinks of Gin Ichimaru._

_Damn._

"Eh, whatever," he sighed, sliding back into his chair and letting his face rest on one opened palm, "Just go back to sleep then. See if I care."

"Frosty today as always today, ne Captain?" Rangiku said, a small smile finding its way onto her lips, "Don't worry, I'll get the reports done."

"Sure," Toshiro said, looking down at the papers in front of him.

The two looked up as someone tapped on the office door. Matsumoto got up and opened the door, smiling as she saw Renji Abarai, but then stiffening slightly as she realized that Byakuya Kuchiki stood behind his vice captain.

"Captain Kuchiki, Vice Captain Abarai? Can I help you?"

"I was summoned by your captain," the noble said quietly, "His hell butterfly said that he had a request to make of me."

"Oh, come in then," she said, standing aside and letting the two enter, "I will bring some tea."

"Let me help you with that," Renji offered, "Captain is kinda particular about how he takes his."

Rangiku giggled.

"He can't be more particular than my captain, but sure. Come on."

Byakuya watched them leave, then sat down in a chair in front of Hitsugaya's desk. Toshiro sighed, considering how to bring up the reason he had called the sixth division captain to his office. Byakuya noted his discomfort and took matters into his own hands.

"You said that you wanted to speak with me about something?" he prompted.

"Eh, yes," Toshiro said, clearing his throat, "It's about the training that we're all undergoing. We have begun, but there is a problem."

"Oh?" Byakuya queried, "What is that?"

"Well, One of my subordinates is close to achieving bankai."

"And that is a problem because...?" Byakuya asked.

"It's a problem because she has the same shortcoming that I had to struggle with...too much power and too little control. Only, where I could overcome that with diligence and training, she is not so disciplined. I thought that with the help of someone like yourself, she could become a much greater asset in battle."

"I see. I understand why you sought me out. It is important to make the most of those who have the skills to someday become captains."

_I wouldn't want to put the fate of anyone in Matsumoto's hands as their captain, _Toshiro thought dryly.

"Yes, exactly," Hitsugaya went on, "I know that you are busy with your own training, as well as Abarai's, so I would be willing to train with Abarai some of the time, as a sort of tradeoff."

"Ah, I see. It would be of benefit to Renji to train with someone other than me sometimes."

"Exactly," agreed Hitsugaya, "I think that both of our squads would stand to gain from this. So, are we agreed then?"

"Possibly," said Byakuya, looking into Toshiro's eyes, "But first, who are we talking about?"

_Damn it..._Toshiro groaned inwardly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, you look like you've healed up all right," commented Rangiku, smiling as she took out the tea ingredients.

"Yeah," said Renji, "We all got pretty beat up there in Hueco Mundo, but I heard it got nasty in Karakura Town too. Kira said that you and Momo were a mess."

"Eh, we took some damage, like everyone else," she admitted.

"Yeah, I hear you," Renji chuckled.

"How is Ichigo?" Matsumoto asked, watching as Renji set the water to boil.

Renji's hand froze for a moment, then he sighed.

"He's doing all right, I guess. It's just kinda depressing, you know, waiting for him to just lose his powers and not be able to sense us anymore. Rukia's taking it pretty hard...not that she lets on to him, of course, but she talks to me."

"Ah, that's nice," said Rangiku, "She's lucky to have someone who cares about her like you do."

_Not one who is always leaving you...and one day, doesn't come back, _she thought.

Renji caught the sad look that had entered her eyes and his smile faded.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, "I know it was really tough for you there in the end."

He paused for a moment, measuring his words.

"He was messed up, but you miss him, don't you?"

Rangiku sighed and smiled sadly.

"He never did things the way other people did," she said, shaking her head, "But he did find me and help me when I was hurt. He was a friend as we grew up, and he encouraged me to grow stronger and join the academy. And even though he cooperated with Aizen..."

"He wasn't really a traitor in the end," acknowledged Renji, "That's been made official now. He's no longer considered a fugitive, although I'm sure they'd make his life miserable for a while punishing him, if he did come back."

"Yes, well, he's not coming back this time," Rangiku said, shaking her head, "So all I can do is go on. That's what everyone else is doing, right? We're all sort of starting over?"

"Yeah," Renji agreed, "That bastard, Aizen, is where he belongs now. And all of us are training hard so that no one like him can ever pull something like that off again."

They stopped talking as Renji finished making the tea and Rangiku set it on a tray.

"Oh, where do you keep the cream?" the redhead asked.

"On the top shelf in the refrigerator," Rangiku directed him, looking down at the tea, then taking advantage of Renji's distraction to slip a measure of sake into her cup.

She started to pick up the tray to carry it back, but had it lifted out of her hands as Renji returned with the cream.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, trying desperately to keep track of her cup as the redhead turned the tray about and then turned back towards Hitsugaya's office, "It's okay. I'll get that!"

"Nothing doing," Renji insisted, "I've got it."

He strode back into the office and set the tray down as Matsumoto rushed into the room behind him and bumped into him, knocking two of the teacups over.

"Ah, so sorry!" she said, blushing and reaching for the two remaining cups, "I'll just..."

"It's okay," said Renji, swiping the other two cups and placing one in front of each of the two captains, "I'll just go make another for you and me, okay?"

"Eh, I don't need any," Rangiku said weakly.

_But I could use that shot of sake! Kami, I hope the sake was in one of the cups that spilled..._

She watched closely as Toshiro took a sip of the tea and nodded approvingly.

"Matsumoto, you should take some tea making lessons from Abarai," he commented, "This is the best tea I have ever tasted."

Byakuya sipped at his, and Rangiku froze as one of his eyebrows arched, and he glanced at her.

_Oh no!_

_Not him!_

_Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe he was just looking around aimlessly or something. It's probably my imagination, right?_

"You were about to tell me who you were recommending for me to train for bankai," Byakuya reminded Toshiro, making him choke on his tea."

"Oh! Um, yes!" he said, coughing a few times, then clearing his throat.

Rangiku stiffened.

_He couldn't mean...!_

"I am recommending Matsumoto," he said stiffly, fliching at the look he got from the sixth division captain.

Byakuya looked from Hitsugaya to Matsumoto and back as Renji returned to the room, carrying the freshly made tea. He caught the last sentence and froze, the tea tray dropping from his hands and crashing to the ground.

"Oh, sorry," he managed, blushing and bending to pick up the mess.

"You are joking, right?" Byakuya said solemnly, "you didn't just say you want me to train your vice captain..."

_Well, that's kind of harsh! _Matsumoto thought, _But then, that's the way he is, isn't it? Man, now I wish I had put the sake in his cup. It might have loosened him up a little._

"I am not joking," Hitsugaya said, looking offended, "She is a captain class fighter who is close to achieving bankai. It may have taken awhile for her to get there, and I admit that she is undisciplined and has no manners..."

"Hey!" objected Rangiku, "You fellas want to remember I'm in the room?"

Renji gave her a sympathetic look, but the two captains ignored her completely.

"But you know," Hitsugaya went on heedlessly, "the importance of developing _anyone_ capable of achieving bankai, no matter what our personal feelings are."

"Which is why you should see that she is properly trained," Byakuya said calmly, "But that is your business and not my concern."

_Sheesh, talk about no manners! These two are awful. _Rangiku thought, _Too bad I didn't give them both a shot of sake!_

"Come now, Captain Kuchiki," Toshiro said, narrowing his eyes, "I told you that I am not the best man for that particular job. Matsumoto needs to be guided by someone with advanced skill, extreme discipline and tremendous patience. Who else in the Gotei 13 could manage all of that?"

Byakuya considered his words and took another sip of tea.

"Hmmm," he said, glancing at the blushing and angry woman, "Perhaps you are right, or maybe you are fortunate and this tea has muddled my thinking. Very well, I will train your vice captain for bankai in exchange for you training with Renji. However..."

His eyes found Rangiku's and froze her in place.

"...your vice captain is going to have to agree to do exactly as she is told. She will have to come to Kuchiki Manor for the training and will have to follow the rules of the household while she is there...not like she does when that infernal group of insane women invades my grounds!"

"Well, that's not nice, Captain Kuchiki," complained Rangiku, "We're only trying to have some fun. You're such a spoilsport!"

"Shut up!" Toshiro shouted, silencing her, "You will do exactly as Captain Kuchiki says. You will report to him tomorrow instead of here"

"On second thought," said Byakuya, "I think that we had better spend some time acclimatizing."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Rangiku.

"You will report to Kuchiki Manor after work tonight and you will stay at the manor for a week, to help you adjust to the conditions of your training," Byakuya said, instantly stunning the other three officers in the room.

"I have to...what?" said Rangiku, looking back at him, wide-eyed.

"I believe that you heard me," Byakuya said, sipping one last time at his tea, then rising.

He started towards the door, but caught her arm as he went by, bending close to her ear for a moment.

"You are to leave your sake bottles at home," he said softly, his breath tickling her ear and her breath catching as she caught the scent of the sake, "I am sure that you will find much more fitting things to focus on while you are at my home."

She didn't dare answer, but watched as he left, with Renji at his side. As the door closed behind them, Toshiro banged his fists on the table, making her flinch and grimace.

"Don't screw this up, Matsumoto!" he warned her, "You have a real chance to make something of yourself, but you won't do that if you make him mad and he throws you out. Now, go and take the rest of the day off."

"But, the reports...!"

"I'll do them," Toshiro said off-handedly, "Just get out of here and go make yourself presentable. And don't you dare drink any liquor before, you understand? Captain Kuchiki isn't going to let you get away with things over there. And if you mess up and he kicks you out, no one is going to want to train you. It was hard enough getting him to agree to this."

"Take it easy!" Matsumoto said, soothingly, "I will not get into trouble. I can behave during my training. I'll just save the fun for when I'm with my girlfriends."

"I don't know if you'll have time for that," said Toshiro, "It sounds like Captain Kuchiki will be keeping you very busy."

"Well, I'm sure I won't be busy _all _of the time. Oh, but we are talking about Captain Kuchiki, then, aren't we?" Rangiku chuckled, "He is pretty stuffy, isn't he? Maybe some time with me will loosen him up a little, ne?"

"Don't you dare try anything that will make him angry," Toshiro snapped.

"I won't! I won't. Sheesh, Captain. You are crabbier than usual."

"Go away, will you?" sighed Hitsugaya, "I have work to do."

"That's fine," said Rangiku, heading for the door, "I think I'll go and find something new to wear when I go over there tonight. Maybe I'll slip over to Karakura Town and see what Orihime and I can find in the shops there. They have way better stuff there than we have here, and it's much cheaper too!"

"Fine, whatever. Just go already. I have to finish these reports before my captain's meeting this afternoon."

"All right. Bye, Captain!" Rangiku said cheerfully, as she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Toshiro shook his head dismissively, then turned his head to address the reports in front of him.

_I hope she takes this seriously. It's a real chance for her to move forward. She deserves to. I just hope that she can put that man out of her mind and not let it torment her into wrecking her life._

_Gin may not have been the traitor we thought he was, but he really hurt Rangiku. All of this acting out...this drinking and sleeping too much...she's just avoiding the pain. But maybe taking her away from here and having her in that nice mansion, away from everything will help her get past it._

_If Kuchiki doesn't kill her first._

_Ah, Matsumoto, please do not screw this up._

He drank the last of his tea, then sighed and rose to go make more. He picked up his and Byakuya's used cups and started towards the kitchen, then stopped and looked at Captain Kuchiki's cup, frowning. He sniffed it, then stiffened, his face going red and his temper flaring again.

MATSUMOTO!" he yelled, even knowing she couldn't hear him.


End file.
